The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-02-06
rHr PBopAGANDA.
when it was EssabIIshed-Its Purpose
and Principles.


When IL was EsInblIshed-Its Purpose
and Principles.
The Sacred Congregation de Propaganda
Eide. more commonly known as the Prop
aoapda. was established by George XIV. in
the year 1922 for the purpose of maintain
ing and directing the foreign missions OF
the Catholic Church. The idea of the
foundation of this, the most important So
ciety in the Church was originated by Pope
Gregory XIII. about forty years before.
It consists of a Board of 25 Cardinals,
one Of whom is Secretary of State; Pro-
thor otary Apostolic, a Secretary who is
uener rally Bishop or Archbishop; and Ae-
visers. Under-Secretaries and other tunc-
4ionaries. who hold weekly co installations.
The Cardinal Project of the Propaganda,
who is at present Cardinal Simeoni, is the
representative of the Pope in all matters
connected with foreign missions, including
the appointment of Bishops, Wears, Apos-
tolic. &c. in missionary countries. Among
these are included, besides heather and
unciyllized lands, all countries in which
oanon law is not in force, such for instance
as the United States. Pope Urlean VIII.
in 1897 established the College of the
Propaganda in connection with the Congre-
pation de Propaganda Eide, where young
men from every nation under the sun are
collected. to be trained and educated and
sent ont as missionaries to preach the
Gosnel to their fellow-countrymen. This
college was not intended, nor is 1t used,
for the education of priests for service IN
countries which are strictly Catholic, or
nnder the iuris diction of canon law. Some
of the latter have colleges of their own IN
Rome. such as the Irish and others. The
Americans also possess college there,
although the United States is only mis-
siorary country. The students OF many
of these national establishments, however,
attend the lectures at the propaganda
which are always given by the most emil
nent men in Rome in their dlnerent ue-
partments of learning. The lectures are
Afterwards gone over by the students at
home with the aid of ripettitore or re-
peater. who must also be man eminent
for ability in his own speciality. In the
College of the Propaganda there are stu
dents of every race and color, Americans,
Africans, Chinese, H1ndoos, &C.; ana the
annual examination which takes place IN
January on the day before Epiphany is one
of the most interesting scenes imaginable.
and enc which visitors to Rome never fail
to attend. The students give re citations
and orations in their own languages, and
have musical performances as gwen IN
their own countries. When it is consld-
cred that there are generally from lou to
200 of them, brought together from the
uttermost parts of the earth, one would
imagine that the scene must resemble TO
certain extent that at the tower OF Babel at
the time of the confusion of tongues. 1t
is said that Cardinal Mezzofanti, the great
polyglot, on one of these occasions, under
stood partially almost every language
spoken, and that he understood pertectI
fifty-eight. The college possesses library
containing over 10000 volumes, among
which are translations of a great number
of Chinese works, and vast collection OF
Oriental manuscripts. Attached to the
college is the Borgia Museum which con-
tains also several manuscripts of great IN
terest and value, besides rituals, auto
graphs and a miscellaneous assortment of
curiosities sent home by the missionaries
from the far-off lands visited by them,
among which are an extraordinary collec-
ton Of idols Attached to the college Is a
celebrated polyglot printing establishment
in which books in every language are
printed for the use of the missions. Plus
TX. on the 9th of January, 1862, divided
the Congregation of the Propaganda into
two parts, or faculties, one for the Latin.
the other for the Oriental or Greek rite.
This congregation also decides questions
or cases Of conscience referred to it by the
missionaries.